BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 213 



113.-AIV ADVEIVTCRE \»^ITH A WIf AI.E IIV THE RIVER TAV, SCOT- 



liAND." 



By Capt. J. W. COLLINS. 



A somewhat remarkable adventure with a whale took place iu the 

 river Tay, ou the east coast of Scotland, in the early part of January, 

 1884. The appearance of a whale in such a locality — some distance up 

 a river — may, I think, be considered extraordinary, especially at this 

 time when the eager pursuit of man has done much toward reducing 

 the numbers of the larger cetaceans, and has also rendered them shy 

 and wary of approaching such places. It may, however, be explained 

 that during December and January the estuary of the Tay was swarming 

 with young herring, and the whale followed these in and continued to 

 feed on the fish for five or six weeks i^revious to the attack which re- 

 sulted in his death. The appearance of a whale on a part of the Scot- 

 tish coast famous for its whalemen, attracted considerable attention, 

 and several attempts were made to effect its capture by crews of Dundee 

 whale-boats, but the whale constantly eluded those who were pursuing 

 it. On one occasion it came within 4(!0 yards of Broughty Ferry, 

 where it " breached," leaping clear of the water. This action ou the 

 part of the whale was like the leap of a salmon, though less active. It 

 rose almost perpendicularly till clear of the water, canting to one side 

 as it fell. It then swam down stream, as if to leave the river, but sub- 

 sequently returned. 



On Monday, January 7, a determined effort was made to kill the whale, 

 which was seen that morning about 10 o'clock off Broughty Ferry. 

 Three boats, one of which was a steam launch, and the others six-oared 

 rowing boats, started in jjursuit, heading out toward where it had last 

 been seen. As the steam launch had arrived near to the Newcombe 

 Buoy, the whale came up to blow close by. The men were on the alert, 

 and as the black back rose above the surface the harpooner threw his 

 iron, which was buried iu the shoulder of the whale. A flag was im- 

 mediately hoisted on the funnel of the little steamer to announce to 

 the crews of the other boats that she was " fast." This was encourag- 

 ing, and the rowers gave way to overhaul the launch, reaching which 

 the boats were taken in tow. The struggle made by the whale after it 



* The account here given of the appearance of a whale in the Tay, the attack made 

 upon it, and its subsequent death, has been compiled from newspaper clippings — 

 chiefly from the Edinburgh Scotsman — which were sent me by Mr. T. F. Robertson 

 Carr, of Edinburgh, Scotland. The facts contained in the newspaper accounts have 

 been sftrictly adhered to. 



It may be mentioned as a parallel case to that given here, that in the city hall 

 (Rathhaus) of Bremen there is a picture of a whale that was killed in the river 

 Weser, near Bremen, in the seventeenth century. From this it would appear that 

 whales occasionally venture Bome distance up estuaries when in pursuit of food. 



